


A Strange Agreement

by rattiewrites



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Aogiri no Ki | Aogiri Tree (Tokyo Ghoul), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Tokyo Ghoul Spoilers, Tokyo Ghoul: re, plain angst, tatara isnt the rapist dont worry, tatara kills rapists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25583197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rattiewrites/pseuds/rattiewrites
Summary: Taiyo Masu is a young man who works at a morgue. Forced to pay off his boss's debt, he feeds the ghouls of Tokyo. When he has to serve a customer alone, he meets a strange man picking up an order and is slowly dragged into a world he had no idea existed. Will he survive?
Relationships: Tatara (Tokyo Ghoul)/Original Character(s), Tatara (Tokyo Ghoul)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Work Day

Taiyo shivered, the cold of the morgue biting into his flesh. Even with his blue jeans and sweater, with a lab coat that trailed down to his feet, he couldn’t compete with the cold inevitability of death. He was also frightened, awaiting the horrid presence that joined him every few days. This was his first time meeting with the man alone and he dreaded the consequence. Cursing his mentor for making him deal with the debt that wasn’t his, Taiyo slid the corpse he had been dissecting back into the cabinets on the wall. He froze when the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. The man had arrived. 

Looking up nervously, Taiyo jumped when his eyes met the other man’s. Red eyes stared into Taiyo’s green ones. Intimidated, Taiyo backed away as far as he could before he hit the wall behind him. He miscalculated the distance and hit the wall too soon, grunting at the impact and flash of pain that ran through him. Embarrassed, Taiyo focused on the stranger, taking in his odd appearance. The man before him was tall, much taller than Taiyo. His hair was a pure white that matched the long coat he wore. His red eyes were strange, but nothing compared to the odd metal mask he wore, covering his mouth. Taiyo shifted uncomfortably under the man’s persistent stare. Clearing his throat and almost choking in the process, Taiyo spoke. 

“Um, hi... I’m sorry for the mess, I was just finishing up collecting your um... payment. I don’t think I’ve seen you collect before, but that’s ok! My name’s Taiyo.” 

Taiyo held out a hand for a handshake but dropped it awkwardly when it was ignored. 

“Tai-yo...” The other man mused as if he was going over the pronunciation. His voice created a unique sensation within Taiyo’s chest as if it reverberated through the room. 

“That’s me!” Taiyo laughed nervously. “Um, if you don’t mind my asking, what’s your name?” 

The man advanced suddenly, easily dodging the examination table that separated them. Fearing the worst, Taiyo tried to back up again but forgot that he was already against the wall. He tripped, stumbling as he knocked into the wall once again. The man offered him no help, stopping directly in front of him and staring down. 

“That is privileged information. But, since you asked so nicely, it’s Tatara. Nice to meet you, Taiyo.” Tatara said mockingly. He crouched so he was eye level with Taiyo and inexplicably, sniffed the air. 

“You smell good...” He mused. 

Taiyo froze as Tatara leaned in towards him. Placing a hand on Taiyo’s face, Tatara tilted his chin upwards and examined his neck. Taiyo tried to resist, but somewhere, deep inside of him, he was enjoying the contact. Sure, he’d messed around with women and men before, but he’d never managed to sleep with any of them. This situation was the closest he’d been to another person in weeks and had a unique tension that mirrored what Taiyo felt before he kissed someone. 

Tatara tightened his grip on Taiyo’s chin, and Taiyo stopped struggling, panting and out of breath. His heartbeat was so fast he was sure the other man could hear it. Tatara leaned in closer, practically on top of Taiyo, pinning him to the wall. Finally, Tatara let go, standing as if nothing had happened. A small prick of disappointment made itself known to Taiyo as the man moved away, but Taiyo crushed it. He must be going crazy. 

Knowing the clientele his mentor served, he was likely dealing with a ghoul and had narrowly avoided being eaten. 

Slowly standing, Taiyo brushed himself off. Making his way to the deep freezer in the corner of the room without taking his eyes off of Tatara, he opened it and grabbed a paper bag. For just a second he averted his gaze to crouch down and read the name sharpied on it. In that second Tatara disappeared. Grabbing the correct bag, Taiyo stood, his eyes scanning across the room nervously. A hand grabbed his shoulder and Taiyo froze. The hand snaked across the neckline of his shirt and lab coat, warm fingers caressing the skin underneath while pulling the garments to the side, exposing Taiyo’s shoulder. 

“It seems,” Tatara said from behind him, “that I have to speak to your supervisor and create a new agreement.” 

A rustling sound behind Taiyo issued and he felt the warmth of another body close to him. Hot breath beat down on his shoulder, and Taiyo reasoned that Tatara had removed his mask. Razor-sharp teeth grazed Taiyo’s shoulder and he flinched, stepping backward. He ran into Tatara, uncomfortably close to the ghoul behind him. As he moved back, the teeth on his shoulder slipped and cut a deep line across his collarbone and neck. 

“Idiot...” Tatara muttered. Taiyo resisted a moan as Tatara’s tongue slid across the cut. 

“Get off of me!” Taiyo cried. As soon as the words left his lips, the heat behind him vanished and Tatara re-appeared in front of him. Taiyo clutched the freezer, holding himself up and shaking violently. Wordlessly, he thrust the bag out in front of him. Tatara immediately snatched it. Turning and heading up the stairs to exit the morgue, Tatara called out to Taiyo. 

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Taiyo knew that if he could see Tatara’s mouth, the man would be smirking at him. The door shut behind Tatara, leaving the room full of crushing silence. 

It took Taiyo several minutes before he could trust his legs to support him again. His shoulder smarted with pain as he moved, and Taiyo stifled a whimper. Sitting on the edge of the examination table, Taiyo dressed and bandaged the cut Tatara had left him with. After taking some Tylenol, he was practically functional again. Burying his face in his hands, Taiyo groaned as the beep of his computer signaled a new order had been placed. Trudging to his desk in the room attached to the examination room, Taiyo sat and opened the order details. He almost choked on nothing but air when he read the amount of flesh that had been ordered. Sure, the orders were organized by pounds and human organs were quite heavy, but even taking that into account it was still a humongous order.  _ This could feed a whole ghoul army,  _ Taiyo thought, and immediately regretted it. Images of him being eaten alive flashed through his mind and Taiyo flinched, cowering behind his computer screen. 

Taiyo’s job was difficult and involved a lot of heavy lifting. He was apprenticed at one of Tokyo’s smaller morgues, but by virtue of being in the thirteenth ward, new bodies came in every day. Many the police marked as unimportant, and while Taiyo regretted that these people’s cases would never be solved, he was more afraid of his mentor than of the police. Lucky for him, after he stripped a body of all its flesh, organs, and other edible tissue, he got to wheel the remnants into the morgue’s very own incinerator. The process of heating up, maintaining, and finally incinerating was exhausting and drained every last bit of Taiyo’s energy when he had to do it. 

After he finished for the day, Taiyo made his way ‘home.’ His job paid well, but not well enough to rent an apartment anywhere close to the morgue. Instead, he rented out the third story of the building. It had quite a bit of privacy, which he enjoyed, but it didn’t stop him thinking about all the dead bodies beneath him and even further down, the incinerator. Just as he had reached the last step, a thought began to bug him. Was he sure he turned off the incinerator? How many times had he checked? If he continued on, the building might catch on fire while he was sleeping and he would be burned alive. Taiyo rushed down the stairs, but he had to make sure that he stepped on every single step with both feet. This slowed him down significantly, but when he finally reached the incinerator, two floors below where he had just been, it was off. Taiyo sighed in relief and slowly made his way back to his home. 

He managed the trip without any further distractions, and finally unlocked the door. Stepping inside and then triple-checking that he had locked it again, Taiyo finally relaxed. Dropping his bag on the floor, he made his way to bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes or lab coat. As soon as he slumped over the comforter, he was asleep, troubled with dreams of Tatara and his piercing red eyes. 


	2. Full of Questions

Taiyo awoke, sore. His shoulder hurt immensely, but the main source of his agony was how he’d fallen asleep. During the night, he had shifted so that only his head rested on the bed while he kneeled on the floor. Standing slowly, Taiyo winced as his knees cracked and popped angrily. Glancing at the time, he quickly began to change, swapping out his jeans for a pair of light green sweatpants and his sweater for a long-sleeved brown shirt. Keeping his lab coat and sneakers, he grabbed a granola bar for breakfast and hurried down to the morgue. Overnight, several new bodies had been carelessly placed outside the pickup door. Sighing, Taiyo began to wheel them one by one into the examination room. He listened to music as he worked, bouncing his head to the rhythm. When he turned to collect the last body, he jumped and let out a small shriek. The body on the rolling cart was most definitely alive, as it sat up. Tatara gave him a little wave. Taiyo put a hand over his heart, trying to steady the pounding organ as he stared in disbelief at Tatara. He coughed once, cleared his throat, and spoke. 

“W-what are you doing h-here?” Taiyo’s voice trembled as he asked the question and he stuttered. 

Nimbly, Tatara jumped off of the gurney and tilted his head at Taiyo. 

“I have been tasked to watch you work to ensure quality control for our next order.” Taiyo gulped and he was sure Tatara was smiling at his expression under the mask. 

“Was the last order not to your liking?” Taiyo asked, afraid to know the answer. 

Tatara didn't answer, leaving the room completely silent save for the music Taiyo had been listening to. As the musician began to describe giving his boyfriend a blow job in graphic detail, Taiyo flushed but didn’t dare head towards the speakers, afraid to turn his back on the ghoul before him. Tatara’s eyes widened at Taiyo’s discomfort and now Taiyo was sure he was smiling. Tatara let the silence drag on and on until the song ended. 

“You,” Tatara said, “are sure to have your head explode if you blush anymore.”

Taiyo opened his mouth to protest, but Tatara cut him off with a wave of his hand. The ghoul sat down in Taiyo’s favorite office chair and began to roll in across the smooth stone floor. Taiyo stared at him in disbelief but was forced to look away when Tatara glared at him. 

“Get to work,  _ Taiyo _ . I don’t have all day.”

Taiyo nodded nervously and began to strip the first body of its flesh, calculating how much he would be able to save. The corpse was a burn victim, and when Taiyo asked Tatara if that was okay, the ghoul shrugged and simply compared it to roast chicken. Sickened by this, Taiyo worked as fast as he could, eager to get rid of the ghoul’s watchful eyes. 

It turned out Tatara did have all day, as he sat and watched Taiyo work for hours. His constant gaze along with his unsettling appearance unnerved. A thought popped into Taiyo’s mind and he voiced it. 

“Why’s your hair white?” As soon as he asked, Taiyo immediately regretted it. Tatara’s gaze sharpened and he leaned forward in his office chair. 

“It’s a family trait,” he answered.

Taiyo gulped nervously but couldn’t stop the nervous flow of speech that exited his mouth. 

“Oh! Of course, your whole family are all ghouls, right? Do you all have red eyes? Do you all have the same kagune type? What does yours look like?” 

Tatara blinked slowly, before leaning back in his chair and studying Taiyo. 

“Are you sure you want to know that?” 

Sure he was about to be killed, Taiyo bowed his head in resignation. A surprisingly warm hand lifted his chin, forcing Taiyo to look at Tatara, who now stood before him. Tatara’s hand wandered down Taiyo’s neck and to the collar of his shirt. Pulling the fabric aside, Tatara studied the bandage Taiyo had applied. Expression unreadable, Tatara let go of the fabric and by extension ceased his hand’s contact with Taiyo’s skin. The room instantly felt colder. 

“How about…” Tatara said, sitting back down in the office chair, “you make me some coffee with that machine I saw in your office and we have a little talk?”

His question did not sound like a question at all, more of a command. Taiyo bowed his head in acknowledgment and made his way into his office. His instincts screamed danger at him as he lost sight of and turned his back to the ghoul behind him, but Taiyo did his best to ignore them. Beginning his morning ritual for the second time, Taiyo heated the water and organized the ingredients he’d need by height, then size, and finally color. He was so focused on his task that he didn’t notice Tatara wheel in his chair, and jumped when the ghoul spoke. 

“I’ll take mine plain.” 

“Of course,” Taiyo said, staring at the ingredients he had collected. Something about them was off, but he wasn’t sure what. The electric kettle shrieked, and Taiyo flinched. When he was done making the coffee, he handed a still steaming cup to Tatara, who took off his mask and drank it without hesitation.  _ How did that not burn his tongue?  _ Taiyo wondered, gazing in amazement at Tatara. Tatara scowled at him and put his mask back on, and Taiyo suddenly noticed how alone he and Tatara were together in his office. 

Taiyo fiddled with the handle of his coffee mug, anxiously waiting for Tatara to speak. A new question popped into his mind, and, without thinking Taiyo voiced it. 

“Why’re you so hot?” Tatara’s eyes widened, and Taiyo could feel a blush spreading across his face and neck. He hated it when he blushed as it made his skin appear blotchy and discolored rather than his normal caramel complexion, ruining one of the few things Taiyo liked about himself- his lack of pimples or acne, due to his aggressive skincare routine. Pulling his consciousness back to the present, Taiyo amended his statement. 

“Not like that!” When Tatara glared at him, Taiyo amended his amendment. “No, I mean… you’re very attractive but that’s not what I was saying! That is to say, I was talking about your skin. It’s so warm, even in this cold place! Is that just a ghoul thing?”

Tatara regarded him, and Taiyo could tell he was trying very hard not to laugh or at the least snort at his statements. 

“It’s not a ghoul thing. As you put it, I’m hot,” Tatara finally answered. Taiyo felt his pulse quicken. Was Tatara flirting with him? God, how long had it been since Taiyo had been flirted with? How could he even know what flirting was any more? Leaning forward and closing the large gap between them, Tatara stared into Taiyo’s eyes. 

“You asked me a question, now I get to ask you one. Sound fair?” It did not sound fair to Taiyo, as Tatara had only given him a vague answer, but he doubted that response would be good for his welfare, so he nodded quickly. 

“Good,” Tatara’s eyes never left Taiyo’s face, though he was thinking about what to ask. As he thought Taiyo became acutely aware that Tatara’s knee was touching his own. The contact was so alien that Taiyo had to force himself not to shiver. How could Tatara be so careless about his body and how it touched others?

“Why do you work here?” Tatara finally said, shifting so that their knees were no longer touching. Distracted by the loss of contact, it took Taiyo more than a few moments to answer. 

“I don’t have anywhere else to work. After I graduated college this was the only accessible job that involved forensic science. With the CCG so prevalent there is little need for those who haven’t extensively studied ghouls. I just clean up after everyone.” 

“Interesting…” Tatara mused. 

“Um, if you don’t mind my asking, is Japanese your first language? You speak it quite well but the way you articulate many syllables reminds me of Mandarian.” 

Tatara regarded Taiyo differently, choosing his words with care while he spoke. 

“You are correct. I grew up in China and later moved here. Mandarin is my first language but I consider myself fluent in Japanese. Do you speak Mandarin?” 

“I do! Learning other languages is one of my favorite pastimes! I-” Taiyo stopped as he realized that both he and Tatara had switched from Japanese to Mandarin. Tatara seemed pleased with the results of his experiment and nodded. There was another bout of silence between them before Tatara spoke again.

“Why is it,” Tatara finally said, “that you listen to music about sucking cock?” 

Taiyo choked on his coffee and felt heat rush into his face and neck. Stuttering, it took Taiyo about a minute to regain his composure. Tatara watched him the whole time, and Taiyo guessed he was holding back laughter. 

“I-I just like t-the song?” Even to his own ears, it didn't sound convincing and Tatara’s gaze sharpened, pinning Taiyo until he was forced to answer truthfully. 

“I like the song because I l-like women and m-men…” Taiyo muttered. He bit down on his lip as silence ensued, wondering if he would just be ridiculed, yelled at, or killed. As always, Tatara’s expression was unreadable, though Taiyo couldn’t spot any anger or disgust in his eyes. Taiyo’s teeth cut into his bottom lip so hard that he drew blood. Letting out a small gasp as pain lanced through his mouth, Taiyo barely had time to comprehend what happened next.

Lightning fast, Tatara stood and closed the distance between him and Taiyo, boxing the other man in with his arms as he leaned down. Fearing the worst, Taiyo did his best to stay still and clamped his eyes shut, knowing if Tatara was about to rip his throat out that it would only hurt more if he struggled. A clang of metal against the stone floor ensued, and Taiyo was sure he was about to die. Why else would Tatara take off his metal mask other than to- Taiyo’s stream of thoughts vanished as teeth grazed against his neck and jaw. There was no onslaught of pain as Taiyo had expected, only a gentle lapping sensation against his lips. It took Taiyo a few seconds to comprehend that: one; his throat had not been ripped out, two; he was being kissed, and three; he was being kissed by a ghoul. Taiyo knew all of these and yet didn’t care, leaning deeper into the kiss. The taste of copper filled Taiyo’s mouth as he parted his lips, allowing Tatara’s tongue to explore the inside of his mouth. Taiyo arched his back, moaning as Tatara caught his bottom lip between his teeth- then the lips on his were gone. Taiyo opened his eyes in surprise, blinking at the face directly in front of his own. Blood smeared Tatara’s lips and teeth as the ghoul smiled down at him. Pulling his consciousness back into his body, Taiyo stuttered out a question. 

“W-w-why d-did you k-kiss me?” He asked, his stutter uncontrollable. Tatara just shrugged before answering. 

“I wanted to know,” he said in a deadly quiet voice, “if you tasted as good as you smelled, and if I could enjoy kissing or fucking another man.” 

Afraid to hear the answer, Taiyo still voiced his question. 

“W-what did you decide?” 

“It seems that matters of the flesh hold the same value, possibly even more with men than they do with women. And, you taste delicious.” When Taiyo began to tremble with his whole body, Tatara straightened and backed up, giving him some space. 

“I’m not going to fuck you right here, right now, Taiyo. I have more important things to do than indulge myself. It has nothing to do with you, as I would have found another man to kiss if the need arose. It would be in your best interest to forget this ever happened.” 

Taiyo nodded, unable to speak. Tatara had kissed him. A  _ ghoul _ had kissed him. 

“That will be all the supervision I require for today. Continue your work as ordered.” Tatara picked up his mask from its resting place on the floor and turned, white coat flapping as he left the room. 

Taiyo sat in that chair, for hours or minutes, he wasn’t sure. Sweaty, anxious, and most of all horny, Taiyo wondered how he could continue to work like this as it was only ten in the morning and he was already exhausted.


	3. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rape tw!

Taiyo groaned in exhaustion. His lips were sore and swollen from his encounter with Tatara and the constant pain did nothing to help Taiyo forget the strange event. Tatara had kissed him. Despite the ghoul’s excuses for his actions, Taiyo couldn’t help but dwell on the intimate sensation of Tatara’s lips on his, the ghoul’s tongue pressing into Taiyo’s mouth.

A door slammed somewhere in the examination room and Taiyo flinched. Had Tatara come back to kill him? As the harsh and familiar scent of cigar smoke seeped into the office, and an even more familiar spear of horror filled Taiyo. If it had been Tatara, Taiyo wouldn’t have known what to expect but with his boss, Taiyo knew what the man wanted and what would happen. Taiyo removed his lab coat and turned in his chair to face the man who tormented him, a fake smile plastered on his face.

\---------------------------------------

When Taiyo was allowed to return to his home above the morgue, he immediately stripped out of the revealing and uncomfortable leather clothing he’d been given to wear and prepared a shower. Taiyo pressed his face to the wall as water ran down his back, trying to forget the hands that had touched him at the club while he was shown off as the boss’s pet. Later, overcome by lust, pure cruelty, or liquor, his boss had insisted on fucking him in the single-stall bathroom. This was not a new occurrence. About every week Taiyo would be dragged to a new club or bar, fondled, and then willingly or unwilling fucked forcibly. This is just part of the job, Taiyo reminded himself. He was making good money and should be proud of the work he did.

Hand-shaped bruises gripped Taiyo’s hips, a reminder of the things that were done to him tonight. Over the din of water from the shower, Taiyo heard a door creak outside of the bathroom and froze. He slowly turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his chest, covering the marks on his skin as best as possible. Was his boss back for round two? Tears filled Taiyo’s eyes, and his hand shook as he reached for the light switch, the other hand gripping the top of the towel tightly. The flicker and buzz of fluorescent lights sounded and soon light filled his home. Taiyo’s mouth dried as he noticed the door of his bedroom was open. Whoever had entered his home was there, as Taiyo was ruthless about closing doors behind him. Almost too shaky to stand, Taiyo walked to the door and opened it slowly. An unwanted tear streaked down his face in protest as Taiyo groped for the light switch.

A gasp freed itself from Taiyo’s throat as he beheld Tatara. The ghoul was dressed in all black, his ever-present mask hiding his mouth. He sat on the end of Taiyo’s bed, legs crossed as he glared up at the intruder.

Taiyo was so surprised he almost dropped the towel and would have thoroughly embarrassed himself if Tatara hadn’t stood and rushed forward, grabbing the cloth as it fell from Taiyo’s hand. Taiyo grabbed after the towel and pulled it tight against his body, extremely self-conscious.

“W-what are you doing here Tatara?” Tatara stared down at him, fingers on the edge of the towel, almost touching Taiyo’s chest.

“Where did you go during your workday?” Tatara growled, eyes flashing with anger. A blush colored Taiyo’s face, spreading across his neck and ears.

“M-m-my boss asked me to do something different today and I wasn’t at the office a-after twelve.”

“I see,” Tatara said, though the anger in his eyes abated slightly. His eyes landed on the handprint across Taiyo’s left shoulder. Taiyo’s boss had an unfortunate habit of squeezing Taiyo tightly as he penetrated him and it often left marks similar to the handprints on Taiyo’s hips.

Tatara’s hand rested on the area, aligning his fingers with the fingerprints of the bruise. Then, he quickly spun, holding onto Taiyo. Taiyo’s body hit the bed behind him and he unconsciously spread his arms above his head, brain going into autopilot as it did when he was being forcibly fucked. Taiyo’s fear increased as Tatara peeled the towel off of his chest, pulling it down. Tatara’s attack stopped as he reached Taiyo’s hips. Leaving the towel where it was, Tatara observed the handprints, clearly calculating the angle in which someone would have to be in relation to Taiyo to leave these marks.

Making a sound of disgust, Tatara backed away from Taiyo, leaving him limp on the bed. Taiyo stayed that way, waiting for what he considered to be inevitable. Tatara would surely rape and eat him, in whatever order the ghoul preferred. Tatara surprised Taiyo by making more room between his body and Taiyo’s before speaking.

“Who. Did. This. To. You.” Tatara’s voice was calm enough, but it had a deadly edge. Confused, Taiyo sat up, the towel still covering his lower half.

“Don’t you want me?” He asked, batting his eyes and running a hand down his chest before extending it to Tatara. It was what he was taught.

Tatara averted his eyes, repeating his question before adding: “Was it consensual?”

Taiyo considered this. In the past, he’d begged his boss not to, that it would hurt him and he couldn’t handle it. He now let himself be fucked, often without complaint. Did that mean he wanted it? That was what his boss had told him when Taiyo had threatened to go to the cops. Helplessly, Taiyo looked up at Tatara and tried to convey his message through his eyes. Tatara seemed to understand.

“Get dressed.” He ordered Taiyo. Tatara looked away again, ignoring the show Taiyo made of removing the towel and spreading his legs on the bed.

“Now,” Tatara added through gritted teeth, eyes focused unwaveringly on the ceiling. Taiyo obeyed him, sliding on boxers, blue sweatpants, and a black tank top. Tatara looked back at him when the rustling of clothing ceased, his expression unreadable.

“Did your boss do this to you?” Tatara asked, practically spitting the words out. Taiyo nodded, before quickly adding to his statement.

“But I-It’s normal. It’s another part of my job and I willingly participate.” The lie slipped off of Taiyo’s lips easily. He didn’t know what would happen to him if he told someone else and the boss found out. It surely wouldn’t be good.

Tatara stared at him for a long while, and Taiyo couldn’t tell if he’d bought the lie. Finally, he pointed to the bed and wordlessly ordered Taiyo to it. Taiyo nodded and obeyed, the rational side of his thoughts hidden behind the barriers he put up every time he had to be fucked by the boss or one of his men. Thus, excitement filled him. He’d never been fucked by a ghoul before. Would Tatara be gentle with him? Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice screamed, telling him not to do it and reminding him that he hated being fucked, especially after the boss had his way with him so recently.

When Tatara didn’t join him, Taiyo’s excitement faded and was replaced by fear. Licking his lips nervously, Taiyo fidgeted with the blue comforter of his bed.

“Will y-you join me?” He asked, putting on his most charming smile. Tatara shook his head and turned to leave.

“Get some sleep,” he ordered. Without meaning to, Taiyo cried out.

“Wait!” Tatara froze, his hand on the doorknob. “Stay with me?” Taiyo asked. Tatara’s shoulders stiffened.

“I’m not going to sleep with you right now, Taiyo. You’re fucked up on something. Did your boss give you anything while you were with him?”

Taiyo shook his head slowly, trying to remember the night’s events. He remembered arriving at the club, the boss touching him, and then they were in the bathroom. He should remember more, but his thoughts refused to coalesce into something coherent.

“Stay with me, please.” He pleaded, still not sure why he was inviting a ghoul to keep him company. Taiyo stared at Tatara’s back, awaiting a response.

“Fine,” Tatara said. He sat down in front of the door and busied himself with his phone.

“This is as close as I get,” he warned Taiyo. Taiyo nodded and lay down, trying to still his beating heart. Finally, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

\---------------------------------------

A man’s hot breath beat down on his bare back and a hand grabbed his hair, pulling his head back. The bathroom tile was cold against Taiyo’s knees and he shivered. He bit down on his bottom lip, containing a scream as the man behind him plunged into him without any care for Taiyo’s comfort. No lube, no preparation, just full anal. The boss said he ‘liked it raw.’ A strong hand gripped Taiyo’s shoulder, squeezing so hard Taiyo saw stars. Taiyo felt himself tear, and blood began to drip out of him, making little _plink, plink_ noises on the tile. The hand ran down his back and joined the other hand to grip Taiyo’s hips as the man thrust inside him, murmuring curses, telling Taiyo that he was a filthy little slut and he would kill Taiyo without hesitation. The cool metal of a knife pressed against Taiyo’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood. The man thrust harder, pushing Taiyo’s neck into the blade. Taiyo was sure his head would be cut off by the time the man finished. The knife cut deeper and deeper until it finally-

“Taiyo!” A hand shook Taiyo’s shoulder and Taiyo shuddered at the contact, attempting to pull his thoughts back to reality. Tears ran down his face as he remembered the nightmare that constantly tormented his dreams. Taiyo’s whole body shook, wracked with convulsive sobs. Someone held him as he cried, stopping him from hurting himself by holding his hands. If not for this, Taiyo was sure his nails would have drawn blood from his palms as soon as he woke. Taiyo felt his body being lifted, head pressing against the chest of whoever had woken him.

“Taiyo, listen to me,” his savior said, voice reverberating in his chest and distorting it to Taiyo’s ears.

“I need you to match your breathing with mine, Taiyo. Listen to my heart and try to breathe slowly. Do it with me now. In- two, three, four, hold- one, two, out- two, three, four hold- one, two.” Taiyo breathed with him, for it was a man’s voice that spoke to him. Slowly, Taiyo became aware of his body and his location. Glancing upwards, Taiyo saw Tatara looking at him with concern. They were both on the floor, next to Taiyo’s bed. Tatara cradled him in his arms, breathing steady. Taiyo closed his eyes again, relaxing into the embrace. Tatara ran his hands through Taiyo’s hair, telling him that it would be ok, that he was safe, and that no one was ever going to hurt him again. Taiyo took comfort in his words, even though he believed none of them.

They sat like that for an indeterminate amount of time until Tatara lifted Taiyo back onto the bed, gently pulling the covers over him and helping him rest his head on the pillows.

“Go to sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

Tatara headed back to his place at the door, and Taiyo soon drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Road Trip

Light filtered through Taiyo’s eyelids, forcing him to open them and wake. Tatara stared down at him, hand on the curtains that had been pushed aside to let the sunlight in. Taiyo stared up at him, trying to remember if last night had been a dream or reality. Tatara looked away, breaking their gaze. 

“Get up,” he said and tossed an empty duffle bag at Taiyo. Taiyo didn’t attempt to catch it, and let the purple bag bounce off the bed and onto the floor. Tatara glared at him. 

“Pack what you need. I’m leaving and you’re coming with me.” His voice and body language betrayed no emotion as he turned and left the room, stride confident. Blinking in confusion, Taiyo heeded Tatara’s orders, packing his few clothes and essentials. He made sure to grab some books, worried that wherever he’d be taken there would be no entertainment and he’d die of boredom. When he finished packing, Taiyo dressed quickly and exited his bedroom. Tatara stood impatiently at the front door, foot tapping. 

“W-where are you taking me?” Taiyo asked. Tatara didn’t answer his question, instead replying with a vague statement. 

“You seem too calm. I expected more of a fuss from you about leaving and going somewhere you’re unfamiliar with, especially with a ghoul.” His tone seemed cool enough, but a hidden threat was clear within his words. Taiyo gulped. 

“It’s because you’re a ghoul. You could easily take me anywhere even if I agreed or not. If you wanted to kill me, you could. I’m helpless.”

Pity and regret flashed across Tatara’s face, but he quickly hid the emotions. 

“There’s a car outside,” he said, “food will be provided for you where we are going. Do you have everything?” 

Taiyo glanced around the room, trying to think of something he would regret leaving. He’d lived here for only a few years, but it felt like longer. 

“I have everything,” he murmured. Turning to follow Tatara as he left the apartment, Taiyo wondered if he would still be alive at the end of the week. 

\---------------------------------------

Tatara gripped the cheap leather of the steering wheel so tightly he heard something in his left hand pop. Relaxing his grip, Tatara glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the human with him. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to take Taiyo by the shoulders and shake him until the human told him what his boss had done to him. Tatara hated those weak enough to prey on others, and would gladly kill the man if he had the chance. 

Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner? Taiyo flinching whenever Tatara made sudden movements and how scared the human had been after Tatara had kissed him. These two things together were not enough to deduce if someone had or was being abused, but as soon as Tatara had smelled Taiyo the previous night, he should have known. The scent of blood and sex had clung to Taiyo, but Tatara had just assumed he’d been having fun. But, the human's weird behavior, coupled with the sounds he’d been making while asleep was unmistakably due to rape. 

Cursing himself again, Tatara tried to remember the excuse he’d made to Eto on why he was absent last night. She would undoubtedly make her own assumptions when he returned with a trauma-ridden human in tow. Tatara himself didn’t know why he was taking Taiyo with him, only that he couldn’t stand leaving the human to suffer another day having to please his boss. Tatara’s eyes fixed on Taiyo’s lips, and he imagined kissing the man again. Forcing his eyes away, Tatara focused on the road ahead of him. He had yet to decide where he was taking Taiyo (his apartment, Rushima, somewhere else entirely?), but he still drove. Tatara decided on a location and switched lanes. 

“Where are we going?” Taiyo asked from the back of the car. Tatara allowed himself to look in the rearview mirror long enough to answer. 

“A safe place. There will be other ghouls there, but they won’t hurt you.”  _ Probably _ , he added in the form of a thought. Any ghoul other than Eto or maybe Ayato wouldn’t dare defy him. Ayato didn’t seem one to hurt humans just for the displeasure of others, but with Eto, Tatara was never sure. She had saved him in almost every way, taking him into her weird family of ghouls when he’d fled China. She’d cared for him and he’d cared for her. Unfortunately, she was unpredictable at best.  _ I won’t let her kill Taiyo,  _ he thought. The idea surprised him, as he rarely opposed anything Eto decided on. She often knew what was best, and he was loyal to a fault. _ Why is this human’s safety and comfort so important to me?  _ Tatara wondered. He didn’t have a clue. 

\---------------------------------------

Taiyo watched the city landscape slowly shift and he realized they were heading towards Tokyo Bay. Suddenly, Tatara pulled over to the side of the road, turning the keys to stop the vehicle. Taiyo glanced around. There were no cars to be seen, only the forest and past that, the docks. Taiyo frowned. Was this how he was going to die? It seemed he would live another day, as Tatara turned around and handed him a blindfold. 

“Put this on,” he commanded. Taiyo obeyed, struggling so much with the blindfold that Tatara had to help him. Taiyo hated not being able to see, and soon he was panicking. A reassuring hand held his shoulder, and Tatara spoke again, this time more softly. 

“It’s ok. This is only so you are safer. If you know where we are, it could put you in even more danger.” Taiyo nodded, and let Tatara guide him out of the car and to the docks. Tatara spoke to someone in rapid Mandarin, which Taiyo had trouble understanding, and soon they were on a boat, no questions asked. 

They soon touched ashore, and Tatara continued to guide Taiyo across what seemed like rocky terrain until finally, he paused and told Taiyo he could take off his blindfold. Taiyo obeyed and then gasped in amazement at the structure before him. From the outside, it looked like an old military base, but dim lights could be seen flicking in some of the windows. They walked inside, and Tatar’s grip on Taiyo’s shoulder tightened as they passed a group of ghouls lurking at an old table, playing cards. 

“Tatara… you’re hurting me,” Taiyo murmured when they were out of earshot from the ghouls. Tatara’s grip immediately relaxed, and he apologized absentmindedly. A thump behind them caused both of them to flinch, and Tatara whirled around, muscles tense. He relaxed as he seemed to recognize the bizarre figure before them. 

The girl before them was dressed in a pink cloak. None of her skin was visible, as it was covered by bandages. Taiyo wondered how she could see through the yellowing fabric. Tatara bowed to her and moved to the side, shielding Taiyo with his body. 

“Who’s this?” The girl asked, peeking over Tatara’s shoulder to look at Taiyo. 

“The human who has supplied us with food. If possible, Eto, I’d like to talk to you in private after assuring you won’t harm him.” The girl- Eto tilted her head and continued to stare at Taiyo. 

“I want to hear it from him. Tell me about yourself, human.” Tatara shifted to the side and Taiyo gulped, staring into the bandaged face studying him. 

“M-my name’s T-Taiyo Masu. I work at the morgue that has supplied you and your organization with food… what else do you want to k-know?” Eto considered his question and then said:

“Why did Tatara take you here? Was he not here last night because he was fucking you?” 

An annoyed sound came from Tatara, but he said nothing more. Taiyo blushed. 

“No, no, nothing like that! I had a change of scenery at work and I wasn’t at the morgue so Tatara came to check on me to ask why I wasn’t at work. I-I’m not sure why he took me here, he didn’t give me an explanation.” Taiyo’s palms began to sweat. So far he’d told the truth, but he was worried the truth wasn’t enough. 

“Why’d you take him here, Tatara?” Eto asked, shifting her attention. Tatara grit his teeth as he spoke. 

“I found out his “boss” was raping him,” Taiyo began to protest, but a look from both ghouls shut him up quickly. “So,” Tatara continued, “I decided to take him here. He could be useful as bait and… he smells good. I’m considering if I should eat him or not and I don’t want a tasty morsel like him to get eaten by someone else.” Taiyo flinched. He couldn’t tell if Tatara was being serious or not, but either way, he was worried. 

Eto tilted her head, considering the situation. Finally, her muffled voice sounded. 

“You can keep him. He won’t be harmed but I have one condition: he has to sleep in your room.” 

Taiyo frowned and blushed at the same time, a complex feat. Eto talked about him as if he was just a pet or plaything. But the thought of staying in the same room as or even sleeping next to Tatara made Taiyo giddy with excitement. Tatara, however, did not seem pleased, 

“But, Eto... there are so many other rooms. Why does he have to stay in mine?” 

“Because you brought him here,” Eto responded, turning on her heel and leaving. 

Tatara sighed.

“Follow me, Taiyo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this has taken so long, i've been super unmotivated


	5. Goodnight

Tatara led Taiyo into a fairly large but tidy rectangular room. A large desk covered in papers took up most of the space. Taiyo spotted a computer and wondered if the ghouls had an internet connection here. A door in one wall was open slightly, and Taiyo could see a tiled floor. 

Tatara paused, sighing in exasperation as he glanced over the room. He mumbled something in Mandarin that sounded a lot like “why me.” Taiyo swallowed nervously, wondering how long he’d actually survive living with a ghoul. The silence made Taiyo uncomfortable, so he dared to ask: 

“Do you sleep in that mask?” Tatara turned to face him, giving Taiyo a familiar glare. 

“Why does that matter?” He asked. He appeared angry but a small spark of humor showed in his eyes. 

“It doesn’t,” Taiyo said quickly. He doubted Tatara would harm him after all the effort Tatara put into keeping him alive, but the simple fact of Tatara being a ghoul intimidated Taiyo. Tatara stared at him before sinking down onto the edge of the bed dramatically. He sighed, tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling. Taiyo bit his lip nervously before voicing his question: 

“Why is my presence so… displeasing to you? I feel as if I’ve done something to offend you..” 

Tatara looked back to Taiyo, eyes crinkling. Taiyo hoped this indicated a smile and not a snarl of rage. 

“Nothing about your presence is displeasing. I am simply considering our current options. Do I eat you and get this whole ordeal over with? I don’t think so…”

The ghoul trailed off, lost in thought. Taiyo watched him closely. Worry must have been clear on his face, because when Tatara saw his expression he snorted. 

“I’m not actually going to eat you. That would be boring. Now, what to do with our sleeping arrangement..?” Tatara came to a decision quickly as Taiyo sat in hushed and embarrassed silence. 

Tatara stood, surprising Taiyo, who flinched. 

“I will be back soon,” Tatara informed Taiyo. “Stay here. I will bring you food and drink.” 

And with that, Tatara exited the room. Taiyo watched him leave, a little disappointed. Something about spending time with someone who could kill you in an instant was thrilling, even intoxicating at times. Taiyo sighed. He liked Tatara well enough, but he was a ghoul. Would it even be possible for them to get along? Was Taiyo even sure Tatara was attracted to men? 

Taiyo gulped at the idea, cursing himself for being a fool. He remembered Tatara’s words much earlier about... What had he called it after he kissed Taiyo? ‘Matters of the flesh?’ Feeling a bit more hopeful, Taiyo sank onto the bed, distracting his busy mind by focusing on his phone. The distraction worked, as he barely noticed when Tatara arrived back, a plate of food in one hand. He looked deeply upset by the smell, but he set it down next to Taiyo. 

“Eat this, and fast. I can’t stand the smell of human food.” 

Despite his angry words, Tatara looked weary. There were even darker circles under his eyes and something about how he moved and talked betrayed a deep sense of exhaustion. 

“What will the sleeping arrangement be?” Taiyo asked, a little hopeful. As he often did, Tatara glared at him. 

“Why are you so curious?” Tatara retorted. He sighed again, apparent;y too tired to argue. “I will sleep on the floor. You will stay here.” 

Taiyo almost spat out the last bit of water he was drinking. Tatara seriously couldn’t expect Taiyo to be okay with that arrangement. 

“That’s.. That’s ridiculous! You live here, so I will sleep on the floor.” 

Tatara gave Taiyo a knowing glance. Taiyo flushed as he remembered how he’d freaked out in his sleep. Tatara wouldn’t agree to him sleeping on the floor, and Taiyo refused to be a rude guest- kidnapping victim? It was all the same to him. 

“What if we… shared the bed?” Taiyo suggested. “You won’t get any good rest sleeping on the floor, and if you get killed because you were too tired to fight, I’m as good as dead. I’m not trying to… imply anything.” 

Tatara nodded. He glanced outside, and Taiyo realized it was already dark. Had time really passed that quickly? It must have. 

“Get some sleep,” Tatara ordered. “I will agree to your arrangement, but I have another meeting to attend to first.” 

Taiyo nodded, a thrill of excitement rushing through him. It had been so long since he’d felt this way about another person. Often, for him, it was: meet a man at a club while being paraded around by his boss. Have said man pay his boss to sleep with him. Receive none of the money and be whored around for the night. In short, it was a vicious cycle. 

When Taiyo finished eating, Tatara took the plate from him and left without a word. Worrying that if he didn’t heed Tatara’s instruction, he’d be yelled at, Taiyo changed into the nightclothes he’d brought and lay down, pulling the blankets over him. It was quite cold, despite the added layers of fabric. 

\---------------------------------------

The creaking of the door and the dip in the bed that followed after some rustling alerted Taiyo to Tatara’s presence. Taiyo had been having trouble sleeping, what with the cold, and his worries about life and his existence as a general subject. 

“You’re still awake,” Tatara observed. A blast of cold air hit Taiyo’s legs as Tatara pulled the blankets over himself. Taiyo said nothing, his back to Tatara. Warm breath beat down on the back of Taiyo’s neck, and he flushed. 

“Night..” Tatara murmured, sounding like he was ready to pass out. Taiyo whispered a response, yawning partway through his statement. His eyes fluttered shut, and before he lost consciousness he wondered if Tatara had actually taken his mask off or not. 

\---------------------------------------

Taiyo groaned, blinking at the light filtering in through the large window. He quickly realized three things, each more significant than the last. Firstly, Tatara did not, in fact, sleep in his mask. Taiyo was able to come to this conclusion based on the second thing: he had shifted in his sleep so that he was facing the white-haired ghoul. Not only was he facing Tatara, but his face had been buried in Tatara’s oddly warm chest, a leg thrown over Tatara’s hips. A more surprising thing about their situation was that Tatara was holding Taiyo, pressing him to his chest. The third, final, and most embarrassing thing was that Taiyo’s shorts felt odd… tighter than usual. Yep, he had an erection, likely from the dream he’d been having before the sun had so rudely awoken him. His… problem pressed into Tatara’s leg. 

Taiyo bit his lip in concentration as he tried to disentangle himself from Tatara. It didn’t work, as the ghoul’s grip was iron-like. Taiyo would be hugged until Tatara woke up, whether he liked it or not. 

As Taiyo looked up at Tatara’s face, he noticed an odd assortment of scars around Tatara's mouth. It looked almost as if Tatara’s mouth had been stitched shut at one point. But, who would do that?

Tatara opened one eye lazily, meeting Taiyo’s gaze. Of course, he’d been awake the entire time. 

“Are you having trouble?” He asked, giving Taiyo a knowing smile. Taiyo flushed, looking away. 

“Just a little..” He admitted, trying to force his mind to think of other things than Tatara. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say little..” Tatara murmured, nibbling at Taiyo’s ear. Taiyo flinched and Tatara pulled away. Taiyo met his gaze, blinking innocently. If this is how Tatara was going to play it, Taiyo would result to the same tricks. 

“Want to help me out with this... problem?” Taiyo asked, leaning in closer and closer. Tatara laughed, letting go of Taiyo and pushing the human off of him before standing. 

“I’m afraid I’m not the one who can help you out today.” He said. “I have other matters to attend to. Sleep some more if you can. I’ll bring you some food when I return.” With that, Tatara disappeared into the bathroom, presumably changing. The bathroom door opened and closed, and soon after the bedroom door did likewise. 

Taiyo rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He was frustrated and horny, not the best combination of emotions to have before trying to sleep. It seemed Tatara would ruin him, one way or another. 


End file.
